The University of Tennessee at Martin’s Vanguard Theatre acting troupe will present three productions of “The Diviners” Nov. 1-3.
The performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, and Saturday, Nov. 2, with a matinee at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, in the Harriet Fulton Performing Arts Theatre in Room 133 of the Fine Arts Building.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 or students. All credit card purchases must be made online, and the online purchasing site closes two hours before each performance. The box office will open one hour before show time for cash or check purchases only.
According to Melanie Hollis, Vanguard Theatre interim director and lecturer in the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts, “The Diviners” is set in the fictional town of Zion, Indiana, in the 1930s and tells the story of a mentally challenged boy whose early-childhood trauma left him with an extreme fear of water.
It also gave him a gift. He is a diviner, someone who can locate underground aquafers.
The boy befriends a disillusioned Kentucky preacher passing through town whose well-intentioned guidance leads to calamity.
““The Diviners” is a humorous, beautiful and tragic tale. It has been a pleasure to create a community of characters the audience can sympathize with as they navigate difficult topics,” Hollis said. “Our students have learned a lot about themselves, about society and how theatre can enlighten even the most difficult of subjects.”
Running time for “The Diviners” is about 2 hours and 10 minutes.
For more information about “The Diviners,” Vanguard Theatre or how to purchase tickets online, call the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts at 731-881-7400.
PHOTO: Members of the cast of “The Diviners” are shown during rehearsal Oct. 30. They are (L-R) Allen Morris, a freshman education major from Dresden, as Buddy Layman; Zarek Mason, a freshman fine and performing arts major from Atoka, as Ferris Layman; Paris Whisnant, a junior fine and performing arts major from Lebanon, as Goldie Short; and Duncan Hollis, a junior fine and performing arts major from Union City, as C.C. Showers. Performances will be held on the UT Martin main campus Nov. 1-3.
